House Of Revenge
by jessiewrite
Summary: A new school year  new drama. Joy wants to break up Fabina, while Rufus is back and is plotting his revenge.*NOTE: Everyone including Mara,and Mick knows about Rufus and the cup of Ankh. Rated T just in case*DISCLAIMER I don't own anything except the plot
1. The Perfect Morning

**Chapter 1- The Perfect Morning**

" £5000. In your account. By tomorrow. And, you'll have what you want most as well. Just do this one tiny thing."

"Really?"

The man leaned closer and whispered. "Absolutely."

**Nina**

I threw open my wardrobe door and looked at each piece criticizingly. This was the perfect day to take advantage of the school's casual day. I had to make sure I chose the right piece. Running my hand along each outfit, I picked out a casual t-shirt and a pair of short jeans. After all, simple is better right? Just then, I caught sight of Amber gliding down the hall in a hot pink skirt and a fancy ruffled tank top. On the other hand, maybe I should go with a striped top instead. _Now that Fabian is my… well… _Even in my head I couldn't say the word. "Get a grip Nina. You need to get used to this. He's your _boyfriend._" I smiled as I said the word aloud. I couldn't believe it! Fabian and me. A new start. No creepy attics or scary nighttime sneak outs. Just the entire school year to spend with him.

"Ummm… Nina?" Amber was standing in the doorway. "Are you ok?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah. I'm fine." I stammered.

She put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow at me. "Really? Because you were just standing there. Drooling over Fab-"

"I was not." I protested, cutting her off before she could finish her sentence.

She shook her head at me and strode down the hall, smiling knowingly.

I sighed and followed her down the stairs into the dining hall.

**Fabian**

I watched Nina come down the stairs. _Come on Fabian, ask her. Now. _I stood there for a moment debating with myself. Finally, I plucked up the courage and walked over towards her. _Smile. Show your teeth. Wait! What if there's some breakfast in between my teeth? Ok, never mind. Don't show your teeth. Just smile._

"So Nina…" I started, my heart pounding.

"Hi Fabian, shall we get something to eat?"

Her question threw me off. I had practiced this conversation perfectly in my mind. She wasn't supposed to ask questions!

"Umm… no. I mean yes. I mean, I already ate, but I'm fine with eating again if you want to eat again. I mean, not again, because you haven't eaten yet. I mean, you can eat, and I'll just join you."

Nina looked bewildered. "Umm.. ok?"

_Great Fabian, you messed up._ _Great start to the day. _I thought.

I walked over to the table with her and sat down. Grabbing a spoon, she reached for a box of cornflakes and milk.

"So Nina, "I started again. " I was wondering… if you would like to walk with me to school this morning?"

Nina dropped the cereal box in surprise. Cornflakes spilled all over the floor.

"If you don't want to, that's ok." I added hurriedly.

"No, no, I want to!" she amended hastily.

"Really? That's great!" I burst out.

Nina beamed at me, and once again, I was mesmerized by her smile. It was hard to believe that someone with a smile so radiant and beautiful as hers, could actually be mine.

"What?" she asked.

_Oh no, she caught me staring._

"Erm, nothing. Just studying your face for a…" I cast my mind around for an excuse. "for an art project." I finished lamely. "So… see you in 5 minutes at the gate?"

"Sure." She said. Then, looking at the mess on the floor. "I'd better clean this up."

**Nina**

I flew up the stairs two at a time to get my school things. As I clumsily stuffed everything into my bag, I couldn't help but laugh. So far, the morning had been perfect! I walked over to Amber's full length mirror that was propped up against the wall at one side of the room. I straightened any wrinkles in my outfit and carefully brushed my hair out of my eyes. On an afterthought, I scooped up a charm bracelet and fastened it on my wrist. _There! _

I bounded excitedly out of the house to meet Fabian who was waiting at the gate. _Where is he taking me? _I wondered. We walked in silence for a couple of minutes.

"Erm, Nina?" He said stopping, and drew a small box from his pocket. "I thought you might like this." The box was velvet blue, and looked battered and worn.

"What's this?" I asked. "Another piece of the cup of Ankh? I teased. When I opened it however, the most beautiful bracelet winked at me. I was breath taken by its mere beauty. Carefully, I took it out and examined it closer. Engraved all around on the bracelet, were Egyptian symbols, and not just any Egyptian symbols, but the eye of Horus. As Fabian slipped it onto my wrist, I felt a strange sense of relief. I could have sworn that the bracelet was glowing for a second, as if I was its power source, and was lighting it up, but the gleam disappeared as fast as it had appeared. However, I felt a sense of elation, and protection, as if the bracelet's powerful aura had been transferred to me in the process.

I looked up at him to say thank you but he cut me off. "You will always be protected." He said smiling. Leaning closer, he took my hands in his. I felt my heart skip a beat and I had to remember to breathe. The world blurred until I could only see Fabian. My palms were sweating like crazy. Gently, keeping his gaze on mine, he pulled me towards him. I found myself locked in his eyes. He leaned closer, and at the same time, some automatic response in me found myself doing the same. We were so close, I could smell his minty breath, as well as see every eyelash clinging to his cute eyes. He closed his eyes, I did the same. Closer, and closer. But before my lips could brush against his, a light cough interrupted us. My eyes flew open and we both spun around. Standing not too far behind us, was Joy. So much for my perfect morning.

**Joy**

_How dare she? _I fumed. _How dare she try and kiss __**my **__Fabian? _It was a good thing that I had showed up in time. I had been suspicious that she might try and pull something off like this ever since breakfast when she had been flirting with Fabian.

"Oh, sorry you guys." I tried to sound as innocent as possible to hide the smirk on my face. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Ermm, its ok. We'll just be… just be going now." Fabian said, embarrassed.

They were both blushing furiously as they set off the path towards school. I was about to congratulate myself when I noticed Fabian reaching for Nina's hand. I glared at the back of Nina's head in a feeble attempt to stop her, but it was no use. She had already accepted his hand, and soon, they were laughing and talking more energetically than ever.

I made up my mind then and there that I would do anything to break them up, or at the very least, stop contact between them.


	2. Announcements and Betrayals

**Chapter 2- Announcements and Betrayals**

A man, wearing black quietly strode down the school hall. He stopped at a locker and secretly slipped an envelope in. Then, he walked away. Nobody saw him.

**Nina**

"See you later." I said to Fabian as we made our separate ways down the hall to our lockers. I turned the dial on my locker and waited for the click as it popped open. I swapped my French textbooks for my math and science ones. As I did so, an envelope fell to the ground. _Strange,_ I thought. _There's nothing written on it._ Curious, I lifted the flap peered inside. It looked like photos were sitting inside, but there was no letter attached. I reached into the envelope and looked at the photos more closely. My jaw dropped.

"No." I muttered. "No way."

In all three photos, Fabian was sitting outside a café. Next to Joy.

He was obviously laughing with her because he was happy. _**And, **_his hand was on hers. This had to be some sick joke made up by Jerome. _Yeah, that's got to be it. I'm going to go confront him right now. _But as I tried to take a step, I found that my legs were weak, and my head spun. Sliding down on the floor, I stared at the pictures and tried to make sense of it. _Maybe this is an old photo, before I came, when Fabian and Joy were together. _But no, that café was brand new, just opened up this school year. I couldn't believe it; Fabian would never ever ever do something like this.

"Hey Nina," I looked up. It was Fabian, his eyebrows knitted together when he saw me on the ground. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Fabian," I said, my voice trembling. "What's going on?" I tossed the envelope up at him. He slid the photos out. For a second, I thought I saw a guilty expression flicker across his face, but it was soon replaced by a confused look.

"Nina, this is nothing."

"Fabian, if you like Joy now, I'm completely fine with it." I lied, trying to hide my tears.

"No, Nina, you don't understand." Fabian protested.

"No, I'm okay with it. Really." I said, standing up.

"Bu-"

"It's ok, you don't have to say anything. I'm happy for you." Then, before I could burst into tears, I walked away.

**Joy**

I smiled to myself as I watched Nina walk away. Phase 1 of my plan had worked. Now that they had broken up, I could make my move.

I walked towards Fabian who just stood there rooted to the spot staring after Nina. I felt a little irritated. "Hey Fabe, are you okay?"

He spun round, and saw me. "Joy, you have to tell Nina that there's nothing going on between us. Someone planted this in her locker." He shoved the pictures towards me. "Please, Joy, you know that there was nothing going on that day. We were just talking."

"Why didn't you tell her that?" I asked.

He sighed "I tried, but she walked away before I could explain."

"You know, Fabe, maybe you should give her a chance to cool off."

He looked at me unconvinced. "Do you think that will work?"

I nodded and tried to give a reassuring smile, though I was really jumping with happiness inside.

**Nina**

I ran to my room and fell onto my bed crying.

"I can't believe he would like Joy again." I mumbled to myself in between sobs. I caught sight of the bracelet he had given me this morning shining around my wrist. Slowly, I worked it off my wrist and put it in my desk drawer. My wrist felt empty, unprotected and bare.

The door downstairs opened then closed. I could hear Mara, Patricia and Amber. Sitting up, I tried to wipe my tears away, but I could tell that my eyes were red.

"Nina!" Amber cried when she saw me. "I just heard what happened. Personally, I never thought there would be this day, you were supposed to be together forever and ever."

"Amber!" said Patricia and Mara in exasperation.

"Oops, sorry." Amber said, plopping herself down on the bed.

"I think this entire business is really strange." said Mara suddenly. "Fabian's not the type of guy who would, you know…"

"Cheat?" asked Patricia.

"Well yeah, and lately Joy's hasn't been herself, I think she might still be jealous of Nina." Mara added

"No way!" Patricia burst out. "Joy would never, she's my best friend. I know her."

"Well, she did interrupt us this morning." I said slowly.

"What do you mean?" Patricia asked.

I blushed. "Fabian and I walked to school together and he… well…" uncomfortable, I broke off the rest of the sentence.

Amber however, sat up straight "Did he try to kiss you?"

Cheeks flaming, I nodded mutely.

"I knew it!" Amber shouted.

"Shhh, Amber, not so loud." I said. "Victor might hear y-" but it was too late. Victor had appeared at the door, Corbier perched on his arm, glaring at us menacingly.

"Why aren't you at school?" he demanded.

"Well, we've come to help you scrub the toilets!" said Patricia sarcastically.

Victor pointed at her threateningly and drew out the infamous toothbrush. "Ms. Williamson, I want to see my face in those toilet bowls."

"That can be arranged." Patricia muttered under her breath.

"Get to school. NOW!" Victor yelled.

One by one, the girls left my room. As I got up to go as well, Victor aimed his finger towards me. "Ms. Martin, you are always the root of my troubles. If you step out of line again, I will make sure that you are scrubbing toilets for the rest of your life. Now shoo."

I hurried out of the house and started walking towards school. Suddenly, I heard a rustling sound in a nearby bush. Cautiously, I approached it, step by step. Just then, something hit the back of my head in a violent swing. Before I could cry out, the world went black.


	3. Demands

**Chapter 3- Demands**

**Fabian**

I couldn't believe what had just happened. _Fabian!_ My subconscious screamed. _Go after her, chase her, do something, but don't just stand there!_ But maybe Joy was right. Maybe I should give her some time to cool off.

I sighed and went to my last class of the day. I sat down in my seat when I realized something was wrong. Where was Nina? I looked around for her, but there was no sign of her coming. Maybe she had gone back to the house.

"Amber!" I whispered. But Amber was a little preoccupied combing her hair with a pink brush. I had to call her a few times before she glanced up. "Where's Nina?" I asked.

"Isn't she here?" she asked looking around the room. "Oh my god, where's Nina?" I frowned at Amber, sometimes; I really doubt her focus on things.

"Wasn't she with you?" I persisted.

"Ummm, yeah! At Anubis house! Then Victor came with his creepy stuffed eagle and told us to get out."

"Amber," I said, "Corbier is a raven."

"Oh."

I was really getting worried now. Where could she be? I couldn't concentrate the entire class, instead, I found myself glancing at the clock frequently, praying time would go faster. When the bell finally rang, I hurried out of class and called Nina's cellphone. One ring, two rings, three rings…

"Please pick up, please Nina."

Finally, someone did pick up.

"Nina, good. You weren't in class. Where are you? I-"

I was cut off by a familiar voice that chilled me to the bone.

"Hello Fabian."

"Oh no." I whispered. It was Rufus Zeno.

"Surprised? I was, when I realized the elixir you gave me last year was fake."

"What have you done to Nina?" I had to try and control my voice. "If you've hurt her…"

"Now, now, you make me sound like I'm the bad guy. I haven't hurt one hair on Ms. Martin's head, but the harm I am capable of will be a lot worse than the loss of one hair, unless you do exactly as I say."

My mouth was numb. I choked out the words "What do you want?"

"Isn't it obvious? My, my, not as smart as I thought you were. What I want…" here, he paused. "is the cup of ankh."

I swallowed nervously. "It's destroyed." I lied.

A cruel laugh came from the other end of the phone. "Destroyed? I don't think so. And if you want to see Ms. Martin again, you will do exactly as I say."

"How do I know Nina's actually there with you?" I asked, trying to buy more time.

A crinkle of static, then a cry. "Fabian!" It was unmistakably Nina.

"Satisfied?" asked Rufus.

I couldn't answer.

"Meet me tomorrow night at 10:00 in the clearing in the woods. Make sure you have the cup with you, otherwise…" he didn't finish. He didn't have to. I could already picture the many things he could do to torture her. Last year, he had threatened us all with a swarm of killer flies.

**Joy**

What should me and Fabe do first? Movies? Romantic dinner? Beach date? I was still congratulating myself on my success, when Fabian burst through the doors of Anubis house panting, his face pale. Everyone looked at him in alarm. Eventually, Patricia stood up.

"What is it? Need to finish your history project?" she tried to joke, but even she could tell something was up.

"Fabian?" I asked.

He stood there for a moment, trying to collect himself, "Rufus Zeno has kidnapped Nina."

My insides squirmed guiltily.

"He won't hurt her." I reassured Fabian.

Jerome glanced at me suspiciously "How do you know?"

"Well, it's just a guess, that until he gets what he wants, he won't do anything. I mean, if Nina is dead-"

"Joy!" cried Mara.

"I'm just saying _**if.**_ If he kills Nina, then he's in not much of a position to make bargains is he?" I finished. This argument seemed to convince most of them, but Patricia and Jerome were still looking suspiciously at me.

"Let's ask Patricia." Alfie suggested, and we all turned towards Patricia.

"Well, chances are, he might not give Nina back even after he has what he wants. Remember when Mrs. Andrews tried to trade the elixir for me? I wouldn't even be here if Nina, Fabian and Amber hadn't pried open the back door of the car."

"What does he want anyway?" asked Amber.

"The cup of Ankh." Fabian replied.

"Look, I don't know much about Rufus, but I say we just give him what he wants." Mick said.

"But Rufus is always up to no good, and the cup of Ankh might make him really powerful." Fabian protested.

Amber sighed. "Look at all this worrying I'm doing, I'm going to get wrinkles soon."

I rolled my eyes at Amber.

"What are you all discussing? Hmm?" Victor had come down the stairs without any of us noticing.

"Nina has-" Amber started to say, but stopped when Fabian looked pointedly at her. "Nina has a clock." She finished instead.

Victor looked wary "Nina has a clock?" he repeated.

"Yeah, of course. We always go to Nina if we don't know the time." Alfie said.

He cast his eyes around the room glaring at each of us in turn. "Where is Ms. Martin?"

"She-" I started.

"Went to visit her Aunt, whose in town. And she said she'll be staying overnight." Fabian finished quickly.

"Doesn't she know she's supposed to sign out?" grumbled Victor.

"She did, with Mr Sweet." I lied. This was a lie that could collapse in the smallest investigation, but it might work for now.

Victor narrowed his eyes. "Look you lot." He hissed. You have been meddling in too many of my plans. I will not let you break the rules this year. Understand? We all nodded. But Victor wasn't finished. He paced around the room, keeping his eyes on us. "For the rest of this week, I want you all in bed by 9:00. No later. And at 9:05, I want the house to be so silent that I can hear a pin drop." He stormed out of the room.

"Amber!" Patricia said.

"What?" she asked confused.

"If Victor knew that the cup of Ankh still existed, he would do anything to get ahold of it again." Mara explained.

"Oh no!" Fabian exclaimed. "Rufus wants me to meet him at 10:00 tomorrow night. That's way past the new curfew."

"You're actually going to go?" I asked. _No, no, no. He can't still care for her. _"Didn't you remember what Patricia said? About Rufus not keeping promises?"

"Nina is important. To all of us. We have to save her." He said grimly, and strode out of the room.


	4. Secrets Revealed

**Author's note*Thank you so much for your review ****NightmarishStar, and many thanks to Koori Hana and fairygirl2468 who have added my story to their favorites. I also want to thank DunkinPuppy, name here please, fairygirl2468 and Whywrite for adding my story to their story alerts!**

**Chapter 4- Secrets Revealed**

**Nina**

I awoke to the sound of tapping. Impatient tapping. Slowly my eyes opened, and I tried to make sense of the situation. What had happened? _Did I get knocked out? But who would want to kidnap me? And what for? _I looked around, judging from the floor, this place hadn't been used for a while, and the bars in front of me could only mean one thing. I was in a cell. There was hardly any light, so I assumed it was nighttime. I tried to sit up, but my head still ached from the blow that had sent me unconscious. Wincing, I propped myself up against the filthy wall, and examined the damage to my head. There was a mountainous lump of the right side of my head, and no doubt some serious bruising.

"Ah, Ms. Martin. Awake I see." I froze, I knew that voice. But this was bad, very very bad. It couldn't be him, not even my luck could be that bad. I turned in the direction of the voice. Rufus Zeno sat on a chair watching me like a warden. _Has he been watching me the entire time? _I shuddered. _Creepy much?_

"Wha- what do you want?" My voice was raspy.

Rufus sat there, head cocked to one side as if examining his prey. "Why, I want you of course. You are a descendant of Amneris, so only you possess the power that will help me on my little, ah, quest."

I struggled to sit up straighter. "The elixir is gone. You should know that."

Rufus frowned. "Yes, unfortunate that. But no matter. There is an ancient method that will prove just as successful. You see, the Frobisher-Smythes took many items from Tutankhamen's tomb, not just the cup. They hoarded it for years, and I believe they kept it here."

I looked around, confused. There was no sign of any treasure here. "Here?" I asked, unable to contain myself.

Rufus nodded, pleased with himself. "Yes, here. I think there is some secret room that** you** will help me find."

I laughed, even though it made my head hurt. "A secret room?" I asked. "This place hasn't been used in years. The only secret room here are the mice holes in the wall."

Rufus's eyes glinted with anger. "I think you will find more than a few secrets here." his voice was soft yet layered with menance, I shivered slightly.

"What are you looking for?"

"An item with the extraordinary power to protect the wearer. It comes in the form of a bracelet." Rufus's eyes glinted.

_A bracelet? Fabian gave me a bracelet. But it can't have been the same one Rufus is looking for. _"A bracelet? There must be more than one of them in this 'secret room' that you're so intent on finding, how will I recognize it?" I demanded.

"It is said, to have the engravings of the eye of Horus on it." Rufus said.

My heart sank into my stomach. It was the same bracelet. _Why do I always get mixed up in situations like this?_

Rufus growled. "Enough chatter, we start finding this room tomorrow morning. With any luck, we'll find it by noon, and by tomorrow night, I will be immortal." With that, he walked out of the room.

**Fabian**

I ran up the stairs to Nina and Amber's room. Though Nina had confided in me that she hadn't destroyed the cup, she had not told me where she had hidden it. I searched everywhere, under the bed, behind the desk, inside her bag, but I couldn't find it. _Maybe she left a clue. _I opened her desk drawer and rummaged through her papers. There was nothing suspicious in there. I was just about to close the drawer when something caught my eye. It was the bracelet I had given her this morning. She had taken it off after our fight.

I fingered the engravings on them, I know it was just a silly superstition, but maybe if she hadn't taken it off, she would still be safe. I put the bracelet in my bag, determined to return it to her.

The attic! What if she hid it in the attic? Too bad I didn't have the key anymore, I would have to pick the lock. I hurried to my room and found Mick.

"Mick! I think I know where Nina hid the cup. But you have to cover for me."

"Okay, no problem mate. You'd better hurry though, Victor's bound to be on the prowl."

"It is 9:00!" Victor bellowed. "You know what that means. In exactly 5 minutes, I want to hear a pin drop." He paused for a moment, no doubt trying to listen intently on our conversations. "Why can I still hear talking?" silence filled the house, and Victor's footsteps grew fainter.

"Okay, I'm going."

"Good luck."

Quietly, I tiptoed to the door and nudged it open. There was a slight creak as it opened, and I flinched, hoping Victor didn't hear that. I made my way up the stairs onto the girls landing and headed towards the attic door. I took the wire out of my bag and pressed it into the keyhole. _Come on, come on. _

"Is someone up there?" Victor's voice travelled up the stairs. "You know what I do to people who break curfew."

I jiggled the wire urgently. _Come on, open. _Victor could now be heard coming up. I pushed the wire deeper.

Finally! The door clicked and swung open. I quickly hurried into the attic and closed the door behind me.

"Who's there?" Victor called.

I slid down behind the door and tried to cover my breathing. 5 seconds passed, 10 seconds, a minute… Victor was silent. Probably back to his study.

I slowly climbed the stairs to the attic, it was pitch black. Without the moon, there would have been no light. I groped my way around the room, desperate to find anything that shone of gold. I shoved foreign objects out of the way, but there was no hint that the cup had ever been in this desolate room. Frustrated I kicked a pile of books out of the way when I saw it. Right there. A glint of gold. Behind the books, cleverly hidden so that even if the books fell, it would be virtually invisible in the shadows. I let out a sigh of relief as I picked the ancient object up and put it in my bag. The bracelet and the cup clinked together in a harmonious sound. Now that I had the cup, Nina had a chance of staying alive.

I peeked out from behind the attic door, the coast was clear. I tiptoed carefully back down to my room and shut the door behind me.

"Well?" I jumped. Mick was still awake. "Did you get it?"

"Yeah! I found it in the attic." I pulled it out of my bag and showed it to him. Mick whistled softly in amazement. "That's some treasure." He said in awe.

I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling, _Nina, where are you?_ I called softly in my thoughts.

**Nina**

I lay down in my dingy cell and tried to get into a comfortable position. My thoughts were unfocused and kept drifting away to Fabian. _Nina, nina. _I shook my head_, I must have been hit harder than I thought. Now I'm imagining Fabian's voice calling me. _But the voice didn't stop, and I realized it wasn't just in my imagination, it was real, coming from somewhere in this room. I listened more intently, and followed the voice to its source- the ceiling. I let out an involuntary gasp as words appeared before my eyes, scratching themselves into the ceiling.

_Wait until the sun is high,_

_and you will find runes appear in the light._

_Press the letters of eternal life,_

_and behind will reveal your worthy prize._

I stared at the message dumbfounded and attempted to unravel this intriguing clue, but even after I had drummed it into my brain, I could still find no meaning to the words.


	5. Legends and Confessions

**Chapter 5- Legends and Confessions**

**Joy**

Sunlight streamed through the window and blinded me momentarily. I sighed. It was supposed to be the perfect day with Fabian, but he was too busy worrying about Nina. As I thought of her predicament, I felt a prickle of unease, but I brushed it away. I decided that today was the day I would win Fabe back. Smiling, I went over to my recently bought accessories and sorted through the pile. I picked out an expensive designer dress and a limited edition clutch.

My movements woke Patricia and Mara up.

"Whoa Joy!" Mara exclaimed. "Where'd you get all this expensive stuff?"

"It looks like you won the lottery!" added Patricia.

"Sort of." I said. To avoid discussing the subject any further, I busied myself with the task of packing my bag for school.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Patricia and Mara exchange bemused looks, but soon forgot about the entire thing when the aroma of Trudy's pancakes filled the entire house.

"We'd better go down before Alfie eats them all." I said backing out the door. And, with the girls at my heels, we went down to breakfast. I noticed that everyone except Fabe was already at the table.

"Mmm, smells delicious Trudy!" Amber said.

"Why thank you sweetie." Trudy replied beaming. "Now you know I had hoped Nina would be here, seeing as this is her favorite breakfast, but…"

Fabian ran into the room cutting short Trudy's rant. "Morning Trudy," he said breathlessly.

"Fabian! So energetic this morning. I bet you've got something planned for that special lady of yours!" she winked at Fabian.

"Could you get me some more pancakes Trudes?" Jerome asked.

"Why of course dear!" and she bustled out of the room.

"Now quick, spill whatever you want to say before she comes back." Jerome said.

"Nina's in danger!" Fabian cried.

"What?" I asked incredulously. _I had his word that he wouldn't harm her._

"I was reading about Egyptian legends when I found this." Fabian drew a sheet of paper from his pocket and started to read. "It is rumored that the descendant of Amneris will have magical powers that resides in their tears. When their tear is combined with the bracelet of Horus and mixed inside the cup of Ankh, this mixture will act as an elixir of life."

"So?" Patricia asked.

"So, Nina is a descendant of Amneris, and Rufus knows that. He will torture her until she gives up a tear!"

"But what's this bracelet of Horus?" Mick asked.

Fabian reached inside his bag and showed everyone a bracelet. "This is the bracelet of Horus, I found it in the attic. This must have been another item that the Frobisher-Smythes stole from the tomb."

"Hang on a minute! Doesn't Rufus need this bracelet for the elixir to work?" Patricia asked.

Fabian nodded. "Yeah, guess what else I found in my research? The Frobisher-Smythes were rumored to have a secret room in which they kept their stolen objects. Rufus must be looking for the object there, but what he didn't know is that the Frobisher-Smythes smuggled it into the house."

"So Nina's safe then! Without the bracelet, Rufus can't create the immortality elixir." Mara concluded.

Fabian shook his head. "Rufus is a madman, he might stop at nothing to become immortal. Who knows what conclusions he might come to! He might even try to spill blood!"

I felt that guilty part of me eat away at my mind. I felt my stomach start to flutter, and my knee trembled slightly, but I tried to ignore it.

"Hey Joy, you ok? You look as pale as a ghost!" Alfie remarked.

I concentrated on stopping my leg from shaking but it was no use, "It's my fault." I whispered sadly.

Fabian looked distressed. "Hey, its ok, it's not your fault, you didn't help kidnap Nina or anything."

I started to sob, "But I did."

Everyone looked at me.

"Joy, we all know you're jealous of Nina, but I hardly think that makes this your fault." Mara said, trying to comfort me.

My secret was bubbling up inside me like lava ready to erupt. "No! You don't understand." I choked. "Rufus-" the lava spilled over, and I spewed out the truth. "Rufus paid me to be seen with Fabian so he could take pictures and make Nina think that he still liked me."

"You what?" Fabian shouted. I had never seen him this angry before.

"What's worse is that I knew he would kidnap Nina, but I had his word that he wouldn't harm her, I swear. It's just that I wanted Fabian back so much, my judgment was clouded. I'm so sorry." I finished.

Fabian wasn't listening to my apology. "You agreed to Rufus because you wanted to get back at Nina?" he yelled. "You actually believed that he wouldn't harm her? Do you understand how much danger she's in right now?

"I'm sorry," I whispered again. "I'm sorry Fabe."

My eyes filled with tears again. _So this is it. I've really lost Fabian now._

Fabian glared at me, "I can't believe you would resort to this Joy!" and he stormed out of the room.

**Fabian**

_How could she? I thought she was fine with Nina and me, I thought she was my friend. _

"Who cares about Joy right now?" I reminded myself. "You've got to figure out how to save Nina." Now that I knew Rufus wouldn't give Nina back, I needed a new plan. _Think Fabian, think._

Mick came into the room. "You know mate, she's pretty upset."

I looked at him in surprise, "Maybe I shouldn't have yelled." I admitted. I sat down on my bed and rubbed my forehead. "It's just that I'm really worried about Nina."

Mick grabbed his football off his desk. "It's ok. We all are."

I followed Mick out of the house to school. All day I feigned writing notes in class, and tried to make a plan. By the time I had finished lunch, I had a pretty good idea how I was going to rescue Nina.


	6. The Room of Myths

**Author's note * Just want to give a big shout out to ****Slytherin Princess 1313 and my friend amberrox and Miki387 who reviewed my story, added it to their favorites, and added my story to their alerts. ****I**** would also like to thank CrystalMoon0889 and my friend InspectorSherlockHolmes who added my story to their favorites, and added my story to their alerts. And last but not least, I would like to thank 10pandasrule10 who added my story to their author alerts. Thanks for your support guys!**

**Chapter 6- The Room of Myths**

**Nina**

I woke up groggily. At first, I thought I was back at Anubis house, and that it had all been a bad dream, but reality soon came flooding back. Squinting through the window at the sky, and judging from the sun's position I decided that it must be close to noon. Beside me was a plastic box filled with my breakfast. I hungrily wolfed it down, ignoring the sharp bitter taste of the gunk Rufus considered 'food'. Remembering the mysterious incident of last night, I glanced at the ceiling for the mysterious message I had seen last night, but it wasn't there anymore. "Typical." I grumbled. Luckily, I had read it enough times to recall it easily. But just in case, I scratched it out on the dirt on the floor.

_Wait until the sun is high,_

_and you will find runes appear in the light._

_Press the letters of eternal life,_

_and behind will reveal your worthy prize._

I stared at each line, concentrating hard. _Wait until the sun is high… "_What could that mean?" I mused. _The sun is high, the sun is hi- _"Oh!" I said as the answer popped into my brain. "When the sun is the highest! Which is noon!" I glanced out the window again and realized that noon was pretty close to the time now. I'd better solve this quickly. I hastily read the next line: _and you will find runes appear in the light._ "Runes…" I racked my brain for possible interpretations. "Does that mean letters? Symbols?" From what had happened last night, I found it pretty believable that another message would appear at a certain time. I looked at the ceiling closely, but no message appeared. I tore my eyes away from the ceiling to focus on the next line when I noticed the sun shone on a specific spot on the wall. Hurrying closer to the wall, I inspected it carefully. Sure enough, a message, or rather, a word, was waiting for me.

_ANKH_

I had to be on the right track, the word Ankh was used to represent eternal life. I suddenly remembered the next line in the clue with excitement. _Press the letters of eternal life! _Holding my breath, I pressed each letter with trembling fingers. As I reached the final letter, _H,_ I closed my eyes. When I opened them again, I was not looking at a blank wall anymore, but an entrance. The wall had slid to the side like a secret panel.

"Well done." I whirled around, Rufus was standing behind me looking impressed. "It took me several days to figure that out, where as you figured it out in one night."

"If you solved it already, why didn't you open the entrance yourself?" I asked.

Rufus scowled. "Only the touch of Amneris can unlock the panel." He admitted. "Now go on, after you." He shoved me towards the entrance

I took a deep breath and shakily stumbled forward through the small hole in the wall. Inside, it was cramped, and narrow, as if we were walking through a tunnel. I couldn't see much, and I had to use my hands to guide me. The wall was damp and moldy, but I pressed on, determined to find daylight again. How many minutes passed? 2? 5? 10? _How long is this passageway? _I wondered. Rufus showed no signs of stopping, or of turning back, so I walked on. The darkness pressed on me from all sides, I was finding it hard to think straight, or even breathe. _Am I claustrophobic? _Just as I was about to give up hope that this tunnel led anywhere of interest, a faint pinhole of light appeared in front of me, and with every step I took, it grew bigger. I couldn't resist letting out a sigh of relief knowing that this stage of the journey was almost over.

"Ah. I see We're nearly there." There was no hiding the glee in his voice.

Like surfacing from under water, we burst through the final demons of darkness and stood before the treasures of the Frobisher-Smythes. Despite my situation, I was in awe of the hoard before me. A wide cavern stretched for a few hundred meters, and several hundred meters more in height. But the dimensions of the secret room was no match for the objects it kept. Strewn across the floor were piles of ancient artifacts. Some glittered of gold while others sparkled with jewels. Even Rufus was stunned for a moment.

"They must have raided over 50 tombs to collect all this." He said in disbelief. "There are objects here that I've only heard mentioned in myths. Look at this." He picked up a heavy blue chest at his feet. "This is said to be inescapable, it was used in the old myths to lock enemies away no matter how powerful they were."

I stared at the object fearfully and unconsciously backed away. Rufus's head whipped up and noticed that I was here. This may prove a lot more difficult than I thought," he snarled at me, "but we will not leave here until we find that bracelet. Understand?"

I nodded, my heart pounding. I numbly walked towards one of the massive piles and started searching. Rufus nodded satisfied, and did the same.

_What am I going to do? I can't tell Rufus that the bracelet isn't here, he'll kill me and my friends. Maybe I can find something that looks like it. _It wasn't much of a plan, but it was better than nothing. _Grab, check, throw. Grab, check, throw. Grab, check, throw. _This was my rhythm for the next hour. My stomach growled, each time growing louder. I felt dizzier with each passing minute, and waves of nausea attacked me over and over, but I forced myself to not throw up, I couldn't afford to lose the only substance in me that was keeping me alive. Rufus paid no attention to me, nor did he allow any breaks. Several times I thought of making a run for it, but considering my physical shape right now, I decided against it.

After continuous hours of my 'search' for the bracelet, a loud _**crash! **_interrupted my thoughts. I peeked over my pile and saw Rufus beside a mound of objects. His face was red, and he was getting more and more irritated.

"Where is it?" I heard him mutter.

He looked over at my pile and barked "Anything?" I shook my head.

Rufus was looking more and more agitated. "It has to be somewhere here, it has to be." He tossed a silver necklace to the side and straightened up, "I'm going out, and in two hours, I expect you to find that bracelet." He grabbed his coat that was lying on the floor and walked towards the exit. Before disappearing into the darkness, he turned and gave me a grin "and don't even think about escaping because I will be locking the door."

_What on earth is he talking about? That door doesn't even have a keyhole. _I watched bewildered as he withdrew a long wire from his pocket and slid the panel shut. I stared after him in amazement, then ran to the panel and tried to open it. For some strange reason, it wouldn't budge. I pounded on the surface as hard as I could but it was no use, it was glued shut. _No doubt because of that wire he was holding. Must be another mythical item. _


	7. The Princess Awakens

**Author's Note* Before you read this final chapter, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has reviewed this story and/ or added me or this story to their favorites/ alerts! Thanks so much for your support guys!**

**Chapter 7- The Princess Awakens**

**Fabian**

I crept out of bed and sidled down the hall. Nervously, I looked around. Good, the coast was clear, Victor must be in his study. The floorboards under me creaked a little, and I froze, listening intently. No one was coming. I breathed a sigh of relief and carefully eased open the front door. I quickly slipped out and softly closed it again with a muted _thud._ Before anyone came to investigate, I swung my leg over my parked bike and rode off.

I could feel the bracelet and the cup banging against each other in my bag ferociously, but I didn't stop to check whether or not they had been damaged. I had to get to Nina. _Before Rufus does._ I followed the path for a while, and then made a sharp turn as I entered the woods. Even in the dark, I knew it well; Nina and I often held Sibuna meetings in the clearing.

As I came closer to the clearing, I pedaled slower, would Rufus be there? I dismounted from my bike and propped it against a tree, making sure to hide it in the shadows. I then edged towards the open clearing.

"Come out Mr. Rutter." A voice called. "No use hiding."

I stepped out into plain view and faced Rufus.

He smiled. "Good. Have you come with the cup?"

I put a hand protectively on my bag. "Let me see Nina."

"After you give me the cup."

I looked around. "Where is she?"

"In the back of the van." He gestured to a van parked behind him.

I highly doubted Nina was in the back of the van. Or if she was, Rufus certainly wasn't going to give her up.

"Give me the cup."

"I want to see her."

"After you give me the cup." He snarled through gritted teeth.

Slowly, I opened my bag and took the cup out. It shone brighter than ever under the moonlight.

"At last." Rufus breathed. "Immortality will be mine. Now, set it on the ground in front of you."

I placed the cup on the hard ground.

"Walk away from it." Commanded Rufus.

I hesitated.

"Do as I say if you want to see Ms. Martin."

I backed away cautiously.

Keeping his eyes on me, he strode forward and picked up the cup.

"Give me Nina." I said, my voice trembling.

Rufus started walking towards the van. But instead of opening the back door, he slid into the driver's seat.

"Where's Nina?" I yelled.

Rufus looked at me through the window, "Oh, I forgot. Ms. Martin and I have some unfinished business to do."

"We had a deal!"

"I never said when I would give her back boy, now move aside." The van rumbled to life and sped towards me. I leapt out of the way, just narrowly avoiding the van. I could hear Rufus's laughter as he zoomed off into the night.

I ran towards my bike and jumped on the seat. Pedaling as fast as I could, I followed Rufus.

**Nina**

I leapt up from my seat as I heard Rufus return. _Oh no, he's back. What am I going to do?_ I panicked. Brisk footsteps approached the entrance and I heard the sudden click as the door swung open. I quickly pretended to still be searching for the bracelet.

"Well?" Rufus's head appeared from behind my pile. "Found anything?"

"No."

Rufus's eyes narrowed. "I don't believe you." He said. "You're hiding it."

I shook my head.

"Come now Ms. Martin. Play nicely with me and I promise I won't kill you."

"Kill me?"

"I forgot to mention one very important detail. The descendant of Amneris tears will have special qualities, you might say. Especially when mixed with that bracelet you're hiding and drunk from the cup of Ankh."

I was trembling now. "I don't have the bracelet."

Rufus drew a knife from his pocket. "See this?" he hissed. "A drop of snake venom has been added to this blade. One cut, "he sliced at the air. "will leave the victim in unbearable pain, and will cause them to die a slow, and most certainly, painful death."

I took a step backwards, and to my dismay, found myself against a wall. Now there was nowhere to go, I was cornered.

"Give me the bracelet." He demanded.

"I don't have it."

"I'll cut the truth out of you." He growled as he advanced closer to me.

**Fabian**

_Hold on Nina, I'm almost there. _I had reached an abandoned jail cell where Rufus had parked his van. I ran inside, only to find it empty. _Where could they be? _I hurried into cell after cell, when finally, I found an empty plastic container. _This has to be Nina's. _I spun in a circle, and saw a hole in the wall. Beside it, was the word _Ankh. _I bolted inside the passageway and sprinted through it. I could hear distant screaming that sounded undeniably like Nina.

With a final burst of energy, I ran towards the light at the end. What I saw nearly stopped my heart. Rufus was holding a blade to Nina's throat.

"Leave her!" I shouted.

Rufus spun around, surprised. When he saw me his face broke into a grin. "How nice of you to join the show Mr. Rutter. Tell me, how long do you think it will take for her to die?"

Before I could do anything, he swiped the blade at Nina and she crumpled to the floor like a rag doll, writhing and crying out in pain. I was nearly in tears now. That blade must have been poisoned. _If only I could have protected her._ Wait a minute! Protection!

"Nina!" I cried. "Catch!"

I flung the bracelet towards her, and it clattered on the floor in front of her. I could hear her gasping as she tried to slip it onto her wrist with shaking fingers. Eventually, she managed and the moment the bracelet dangled from her wrist a sudden burst of light exploded from her, blinding me momentarily.

When I could see again, Nina was not really Nina. She looked almost the same, except she had a glowing aura around her. The cut on her arm didn't seem to bother her, and she stood up straight and tall, as if she possessed authority and power. Sitting on top of her head, was a small crown.

Rufus looked slightly puzzled. "What are you playing at? Who do you think you are?"

Nina was silent for a moment. Then she spoke with a thunderous voice that rang throughout the room. "I am Amneris."

I stared at her. "Wait a minute. Amneris? As in princess Amneris?"

Nina/Amneris nodded. "The very same."

Rufus sneered. "You don't really think that I believe this entire mythical legend do you? Amneris died years ago."

Nina/ Amneris turned her attention to him. "I have awoken once more because the bracelet has unleashed my full power. Which I will now use on you."

Rufus was still looking unworried. "Now now, see here-"

Princess Amneris glared at him. "How dare you! You foolish man! You do not believe in my power? You try to take the tears of Amneris? You are not worthy." She scoffed.

Rufus perked up. "True." He admitted. "But what about your blood?" he lunged at Amneris, only to be blasted away by a jet of light that streamed from her hand. He fell to the side of the room, head lolling to one side, appearing unconscious if not dead.

Amneris didn't pay any attention to him as she swept out of the room. I followed her through the once dark passageway. Her glowing aura lit up the tunnel and I could see perfectly around me. I was still debating what to do when we reached the other side.

As if someone had turned off a switch, she collapsed to the floor. I dropped down with her, resting her head on my knee as I caught her. I could see the glow around her fade, and the crown perched on her head vanished in a spark of light. But her eyes remained closed.

"Nina?" I asked tentatively.

Her eyes flickered open and travelled to the cut on her arm. We both gasped as we noticed it shrink to a barely visible scar in just a matter of seconds.

"What happened?" she croaked.

Instead of answering, I leaned closer and kissed her.

**The End.**


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